Ittoesiers



1962 e. s. HAWIE 3,049,782

CLIP

'Filed April a, 196i ATTOENE Y6 United States Patent 3,049,782 PatentedAug. 21, 1962 3,049,732 CLIP Gabriel 8. Hawie, Bridgeport, Conn,assignor to The Hawie Manufacturing Company, Bridgeport, Conn, acorporation of Connecticut Filed Apr. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 101,255 2Claims. (Cl. 24-260) This invention relates to a clip for use insecuring garments or the like together and more particularly to a clipwhich is thin, easy to operate and simple to manufacture.

It is an object of the invention to provide a clip which can becomfortably used under clothing to fasten portions of the clothingtogether without objectionable noticeable bulges on the exterior of thegarments.

It is another object of the invention to provide a simple constructionwhich is eiiicient, reliable and easy to operate.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an inexpensive cliphaving a minimum of parts which can be readily manufactured andassembled.

These objects are accomplished in accordance with the present inventionby providing a thin three-piece clip which comprises a gripping member,a loop for connecting the clip to a garment and an actuating sleeve foroperating the gripping member.

Each of the elements can be manufactured by simple machine operationsand can be readily assembled by no sitioning the attaching loop in thebend of the gripping member and thereafter sliding the sleeve over thegripping jaws. The sleeve is provided with means for limiting theoutward movement thereof in a gripping position which also prevents thesleeve from being separated from the clip and is provided with detentmeans for releasably holding it in gripping position, yet permitting itto be moved to a retracted position to permit the gripping j ws to beseparated for the removal or insertion of an article therebetween.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and claims when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a perspective of the clip.

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view on an enlarged scale of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the clip with the sleeve ingripping position and the upper clamping jaw shown in dot and dash linesin its normally open position.

As shown in the drawings, the clip of the present invention comprises agripping member 10, an attaching loop 11 and an actuating sleeve 12. Thegripping member is formed from resilient strip material and is bentintermediate its ends at 13 to form a lower jaw 14 and an upper jaw 15in superposed relation. It will be noted that at the forward end of thelower jaw is an upwardly extending gripping portion 16 which is providedwith a serrated, material-engaging edge 17. The upper jaw is normallyheld in a raised position, as shown in FIG. 3 by the resiliency of thematerial thereof. and has at its forward end a downwardly projectinggripping portion 18 having spaced teeth 19. In order to enhance thegripping action of the clip, apertures 20 are provided in the lower jawadjacent the gripping portion thereof into which the teeth 19 penetratewhen in clamping position as shown in FIG. 5.

The attaching loop 11 which may be made of a stamping or molding ofplastic material is herein illustrated as being formed of wire andincludes a clip-engaging portion 21 adapted to be inserted in the bend13 in the gripping member and has side portions 22, 23 extendingrearwardly of the bend and flaring outwardly and terminating in acrossbar 24 forming a closed loop adapted to receive the usual tape orthe like, not shown. Preferably the upper jaw is bent as indicated at 25to secure the loop in position on the gripping member.

The sleeve 12 which is bent up from sheet metal or formed from anextrusion or the like is relatively flat and is adapted to be slippedover the jaws when the jaws are in closed position to be moved to aretracted position, as shown in FIG. 3. In this position the sleeve isout of clamping relation with the jaws and permits the resiliency of thegripping member to move the upper jaw to the position of FIG. 3.

Preferably, the sleeve is provided with notches 26 on either side, asshown in FIG. 3, which permits the sleeve to move to retracted positionwithout interference by the loop.

In the preferred form of the invention the sleeve is provided with atongue member 27 lanced therefrom and having the forward end 28 thereofdownwardly and forwardly inclined and the upper jaw of the grippingmember is provided with an aperture 29, preferably a squared aperture,into which the tongue passes when the sleeve is moved forwardly intogripping position as shown in FIG. 5. The tongue will engage the edge29a of the aperture and stop the sleeve in gripping position. It alsowill prevent inadvertent removal of the sleeve from the gripping member.Further the tongue in the aperture forms a detent which prevents thesleeve from inadvertently sliding backward on the jaws to move to aretracted position and augments the tension of the jaws pressing againstthe sleeve to retard its movement. However, when the sleeve is movedback under positive pressure to release the jaws, the undersurface ofthe tongue will engage the edge 2% which Will have a camming action toraise the tongue out of the aperture and permit the sleeve to move tosaid retracted position.

It will be seen, therefore, that a very thin clip can be provided whichcan be used, for example, to grip the lower edge of a bra and connect itto a girdle or the like secured to the loop to hold it in place withoutdiscomfort to the wearer or without objectionable bulges showing on theouter garment. The simple movement of the sleeve 12 provides great easein operation of the clip in moving it into and out of clamped relation.

Furthermore, the structure of the clip permits it to be manufactured andassembled in such a manner as to produce a relatively inexpensivedevice.

In the manufacture, the gripping member can be molded or stamped fromstrip metal, the wire loop can be readily formed on a wire-formingmachine and the sleeve can be extruded or formed in a simple metalbending operation and can have the tongue lanoed out of the strip asthis is accomplished. Thereafter, it is but a simple operation toassemble the unit since the loop can be snapped into the bend of thegripping member and, if necessary, the gripping member can be bentinwardly, as shown at 25 in FIG. 5, to lock the loop in position.Thereafter, the sleeve is slid over the forward end of the grippingmember and into operative relation. If desired, the rear upper end 12aof the sleeve can be slightly flared upwardly, as shown in FIGS. 3 and5, to facilitate its insertion over the clamping jaws and to provide araised thumbpiece for assisting in moving the slide to retractedposition.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claimsand portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A clip comprising a resilient member having a transverse bendintermediate the ends thereof to provide upper and lower gripping jaws,one of said jaws extending beyond the other and both of said jaws havinggripping portions at the ends thereof, the longer jaw having aperturestherein adjacent the gripping portion thereof and the gripping portionof'the shorter jaw having cooperating teeth extending into saidapertures in gripping position, an attaching loop secured in the bend atthe rear of the jaws and projecting rearwardly from said bend and havinga Wide tape-receiving portion, said jaws being normally urged to aposition in which the gripping portions are in spaced relation toreceive an article to be gripped thereby, a sleeve slidable on the jawsand having a length to substantially cover the jaws when moved from aretracted position to a forward gripping position in which the sleevemoves the gripping portions into gripping relation with the article,said sleeve having side notches at the rear for receiving the widetape-receiving portion of the attaching loop, when the sleeve is movedto retracted position to overlie the end of the attaching loop connectedto the jaw, whereby said sleeve is moved substantially off the jaws topermit a wider opening of the jaws, and a cooperating tongue andaperture means on the sleeve and at least one of the jaws for limitingthe forward movement of the sleeve in gripping position.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the cooperating tongueand aperture means comprises a forwardly and inwardly extending tongueon the sleeve cooperating with an aperture in one of the jaws forlimiting the forward movement of the sleeve in gripping position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

